


Assumed Roles

by sunnflowers



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2020-11-22 06:13:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20869502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnflowers/pseuds/sunnflowers
Summary: I have posted and deleted this work a few times trying to get the right format. The story is being told from Jasper and Peridot's POV at the same time so I tried posting them as separate stories. I wanted you to be able to read the story entirely from one person's POV, but that didn't work out. So I have settled on this format for now.





	1. Peridot: 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have posted and deleted this work a few times trying to get the right format. The story is being told from Jasper and Peridot's POV at the same time so I tried posting them as separate stories. I wanted you to be able to read the story entirely from one person's POV, but that didn't work out. So I have settled on this format for now.

Peridot opened her eyes as her alarm clock beeped quietly. The incessant flashing is what normally woke her up, but if either of those failed, the vibrating would ensure she wasn’t late. Peridot had designed the alarm clock herself. While she recognized that soothing sounds wouldn’t wake her, the typical jarring noises other alarm clocks made frustrated her. A thorough search of the internet determined there weren’t any commercially available alarm clocks that suited her needs, resulting in her desire to create her own. 

The blueprints weren’t simple. She decided there needed to be a three-tiered system to guarantee she didn’t sleep through any alarm. The first tier was auditory. Obviously, the alarm should play a sound, this was the easiest way to get her attention, especially if she was already awake. She designed the tone to be mild, preventing any unnecessary discomfort. If the tone failed to wake her, next came a visual cue. She found that blue light worked well, but as she was partial to green, the resulting flashes hinted more towards teal. Finally, a tactile alert. The system was fastened to the corner of her mattress, providing physical agitation until the user deactivated or reset it. 

The alarm clock was one of many items Peridot had altered or outright re-invented. Her room lights, the webcam, even the doorbell were all altered to her liking. Peridot was by training, an engineer. She had individual, traditional degrees in both engineering and computer science, with a third, specialty concentration she designed herself in computer engineering. The dual degrees seemed like they should afford Peridot a fancy job with incredible pay, but she found those jobs had one significant downfall; she was required to socialize. 

Instead, Peridot worked as a freelance computer engineer. She did most of her work at home, fulfilling emailed custom requests from clients and shipping them once they were done. She was amazing at her job and over time gained several loyal customers. The best part, in Peridot’s opinion was that no one knew who she was. She went by an alias (or rather her user name), Rebel_Takis, and used non-binary, or no pronouns to keep her identity unknown. Her client list had grown significantly, allowing her to choose which jobs she was interested in. People would excitedly wait to see whose project Rebel_Takis would work on next. 

Her business didn’t start off successfully, it started with Peridot receiving requests to do work for free or at highly discounted prices. Like any other freelancer, Peridot knew this wasn’t a sustainable model and refused, but it resulted in a need to find other ways to make money. Through a series of strange and awkward events, Peridot became the founder of the sex toy blog You Clods Don’t Know What You’re Doing. She provided practical reviews and tutorials along with suggestions and answers to subscriber questions. The blog’s success was linked to the sex shop in town. It was owned by an acquaintance, Jayden, and her sister Lana. Jay and Ell (as most of their friends referred to them) had come across the knowledge that Peridot ran this website and commissioned her to review some of their store’s items. Now, Jay and Ell send customers to Peridot’s site, and Peridot sends subscribers to Jay and Ell’s store. 

Today, Peridot was scheduled to pick up some items from the sex shop for her next review. Jay usually just handed her a box with items they were considering stocking. As she finished getting dressed, she glanced at her phone. One new message. 

_Are we still on for a date tonight? _

Oh, right. Peridot had agreed to go on a blind date.


	2. Peridot: 2

“Yo! Peridot!” Jay called from behind the counter. 

“Hello Jayden,” Peridot replied. 

Jay sighed. “When are you going to start calling me Jay, like everyone else?” 

“Hey Peridot!” Lana called as she breezed by with a few boxes in her arms. 

“Hi Lana.” Peridot turned back to Jay. “I like the name Jayden. Does it bother you?” 

“Nah, do what you want,” Jay replied with a grin. “Here, I’ve got the new box for you. I packaged everything up since you said you wanted to do an unboxing. And here is the master list so you know what’s in each box.” Jay handed Peridot a list just as Ell returned. 

“What’s the matter Peridot? You seem more distracted than usual.” Jay may have known Peridot since middle school, but Ell was observant and was always the first to notice when something was wrong. Today, Peridot was fidgeting with her keys she kept looped to her belt. 

“I have a blind date tonight,” Peridot said flatly. 

“Oh! How fun!” Jay cheered at the thought. 

“Are you nervous?” Ell asked.

“No. I’m agitated. There’s a subtle difference. I dislike doing things that aren’t part of my typical schedule. But, I’m intellectually aware that is the only way to meet new people. And it seems that would be required in order to find a _partner. _” Jay looked confused, but Ell smiled brightly at Peridot. 

“Well, I hope it goes perfectly! Definitely drop us a text and let us know.” 

“Wait,” Jay said as she processed the information. “You’re actively _looking _ for a relationship?” 

“Was I not clear?” Peridot said with confusion, not malice, in her tone. 

“I mean,” Jay wrinkled her nose, “yes, that’s what you said. That’s why I was checking. Peridot! Why didn’t you ask me and Ell to set you up?”

“Because anecdotally, dating friends of friends or acquaintances ends poorly. And we have a professional relationship that is important to me to maintain.” 

“So, am I the friend or the acquaintance in this example?” Jay asked suspiciously. Ell clamped her hand over Jay’s mouth. 

“What my less than tactful big sister is trying to say,” Ell replied. “Is that we consider you a friend, Peridot. We are happy to help in any way you think would be useful.” 

“Yeah,” Jay said when Ell finally released her. “What Lana said.” 

“Oh. Well, I appreciate the sentiment,” Peridot said with a smile. “I’ve got to go. I want to at least block out the unboxing and maybe shoot some of the scenes today. I’ll send you my notes!” With that, Peridot picked up the box and left the small storefront. 

Her next stop was the coffee shop. When she arrived she cheerfully greeted the barista at the register. “Good morning Amethyst.” 

“Hey P-dot,” Amethyst replied casually. “What ya got there?” Amethyst glanced at the box before making a subtle _oh _ noise. “You went to see Ell and Jay?” 

“Yes. They gave me my newest box of items to review. Jay boxed them nicely, so I could do some unboxing videos along with the testing.” Amethyst offered an indifferent shrug. She didn’t quite understand how Peridot had such a following for reviewing sex toys, but, whatever made her happy.

“Alright nerd. You want your regular?” Peridot nodded before handing Amethyst her debit card. Shortly after, her drink and muffin were ready. “Box it up?” 

“Yes, please. I need to get back to the apartment.” 

“Will do. See you online tonight? Lapis is really excited to play that new game.” 

“Oh, no. I have a blind date tonight, so I will be unable to play Battle Battle 3 with you and Lapis.” 

“What?!” Amethyst pulled the bag away from Peridot. “You have a _date _ tonight?” 

“Yes.” Peridot wasn’t sure why Amethyst was withholding her breakfast. 

“And you didn’t even _tell _ me? How could you keep something like this from me?” 

“Well, I didn’t think it was a detail of my life you needed to be informed of.” Amethyst just groaned. 

“Fine. I am going to text you tonight and I expect a full play by play.” Peridot looked puzzled. 

“A play by play of what?” 

“Just respond to my texts tonight, alright?” Amethyst handed Peridot her bag and drink before giving her a wink. “Have a _good _ night.”


	3. Peridot: 3

When Peridot arrived home, she dropped her muffin on the coffee table before setting the box from Jay and Ell on the couch. “Coffee first,” she thought, “then work.” She nudged at the grey cat resting on the couch to make room before she sat down and pulled out her phone. 2 new messages. 

_Then I’ll see you tonight. _   
_ 6:30 at North Tavern? _

As Peridot typed a confirmation text, she realized she needed to find something appropriate to wear on this date. “After breakfast,” Peridot said to the cat as he rubbed his head against her arm. She dropped her phone on the couch and began to eat her muffin. 

After breakfast, Peridot stood in her room staring into the closet. While she normally didn’t worry about how her clothing looked, Peridot did understand the societal standards for a date. Her typical attire of jeans and T-shirts was buried in her dresser, but the handful of items deemed societally acceptable for a person her age were located in her closet. She didn’t worry about how she looked in clothing, her focus was on how it felt to wear them, and that made Peridot terrible at shopping for clothing. Luckily, last year, a few friends had gone shopping with her, picking out things that looked good. For special occasions, Peridot replicated those outfits and snapped a selfie to send to her friends for final approval. Today would be no difference. 

After finally picking out an outfit, Peridot did a quick change to take a selfie. She sent the image to Amethyst and threw her phone on the bed. She sat down at her desk and pulled out her journal. _I suppose I should determine the order of the unboxing first. _ Peridot thought to herself. She pulled out the list Jay had given her and ran through the contents of this week’s package. Just as she had begun grouping the items, her phone chirped, followed by her computer. Peridot rolled her eyes as she turned on her camera and pulled her headphones over her ears. 

“What Amethyst? Aren’t you supposed to be working?” 

“I am. But I’m on break right now.” It was clear Amethyst was using her cellphone, awkwardly shifting the camera in weird angles. “Was that the outfit you planned on wearing on your date?” 

“Yes,” Peridot said, looking back down at her journal. 

“No,” Amethyst replied before sighing deeply. “You can’t wear that.” 

“Why not?” Peridot still hadn’t looked up from her journal. Always a champion multitasker, she wasn’t about to let Amethyst’s call keep her from her planned work. 

“It isn’t … uh, appropriate?” Amethyst trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain to Peridot what was wrong with it. 

“Hey!” Peridot finally looked directly into her computer’s camera. “YOU picked that one out when we went shopping. If there’s something wrong with it, it’s your fault!” With a final glare, Peridot went back to her journal. 

“Don’t get all pissy! Just … okay look. Your outfit can say a lot about your intention to some people okay? The outfit you picked says ‘business meeting’. You need to find one that says something more like ‘fun, social, flirty’ if you want to wear it for a date.” Amethyst could see Peridot raise her eyes just slightly, pencil still in hand. 

“Fine. Which one do you suggest?” Peridot wasn’t angry at Amethyst, she was annoyed that picking out clothing had to be so complicated. She had countless previous experiences where people had commented on the appropriateness of her clothing, so she knew attire selection was not her strong point. She trusted her friends were only looking out for her. 

“You feel up for wearing a dress?” Amethyst asked. She knew that although Peridot owned several dresses, she didn’t always want to project herself in such a feminine way.   
“Sure,” Peridot shrugged, “a dress is fine. But I’m wearing my sandals with it.” 

“Fine,” Amethyst replied. After several back and forth discussions on perception and image, they agreed on a pale-yellow cocktail dress with small green flowers lining the bottom hem. Peridot had even agreed to model it for Amethyst.

“There. Are we in agreement now?” Amethyst scrunched her face in her signature ‘I’m thinking’ look. 

“Turn around?” She asked Peridot. “Yeah, I think it’s a good choice. But what are you going to do with your hair?” 

“Pull it back, like I always do?” Peridot called from her walk-in closet where she was stripping off the dress. “Why?” She said as she returned to the computer. “Is that a problem?” 

“I suppose not,” Amethyst said thoughtfully. “But if you’re pulling it back, that leaves your neck and shoulders exposed. You should wear a necklace.” 

“Ugh! There is nothing I would enjoy less. Well, almost nothing.” 

“Okay, okay. No necklace. It’s fine. The dress looks good on you P-dot. I have to get back to work, but let me know how the date goes?” 

“Will do,” Peridot replied, already back to blocking her unboxing video. “Ciao,” she said, offering Amethyst a lazily side salute before hanging up. 

Soon after, Peridot had the unboxing scenes blocked and ordered. She had decided to do a comparison between the 5 non-vibrating, dildo type toys, a skin and a toy test with the 6 different types of lube, and finally a plain unboxing with no rating for the remaining toys which she believed were “novelty” toys. With her outline complete, she pulled up a text message box on her computer and sent a message to Ell and Jay. 

_Did you want the novelty toys rated? The ones in cartoonish shapes and colors? I assume you just tossed them in there to get an opinion on them. I can rate them if you’d like, but I don’t believe they are worth a whole video. Please advise. -Peridot _

Peridot leaned backwards in her chair and glanced at the clock. She had enough time to film some of the lube video and decided to get to work. She set up her bedroom to appropriate studio conditions. Lighting and sound were tightly controlled as she set up her camera. The boxes were placed in the order she had determined during the blocking phase and she began the painful process of imaging each one. She took a close-up of the product packaging, front, back, and sides, before carefully removing the bottle from its packaging and placed it in front of its box. After that she acquired images of the product in front of its packaging then, she took some of the product alone. She did this for each of the 6 containers of lube before she uploaded her images to her computer. 

Peridot changed into her signature UFO T-shirt, ran a brush through her hair, and sat in front of her webcam. “Hello Clods, Peridot here. Today, I’m going to review some new lube Ell and Jay are considering stocking and are also available on the internet, obviously.” She pulled out each bottle, squirting the contents onto both her arm and a high-quality toy then describing the texture, glide, and thickness. After she did all the tests, she gave each bottle a score. “In conclusion, I would say that this bottle is the best of the group, but of course is rather expensive. If you’re looking for something less expensive, this one is pretty good for the money. As always, stay tuned for my next video. Peridot out.” 

Peridot stretched as she stood from her desk chair. It was time to get ready for her date. While she wouldn’t say she had lost her nerve, she had lost at least some of her interest in participating in dating rituals. It sounded much more appealing when it was an abstract thought and not something she had to attend to in the very near future. She hoped showering would renew her interest. 

It wasn’t long before she was dressed and working on pulling back her hair. The stubborn blonde locks were fighting against the hairpins and Peridot was getting tired of fighting with them. She considered leaving it down, but it always dried into a weird, pointy mess. “Why won’t you just behave!” Peridot shouted into the mirror only to send a hairpin flying through the room. Eventually, she had had enough, pulling a brush through the blonde mess and called it a night. “Great. Now I’m going to be late.”


	4. Jasper: 1

Skinny lounged on the couch, flipping through one bad television show after another. Skinny mumbled as Jasper walked into the room, “Mom called.”

“And?” Jasper replied indignantly.

“I dunno. I didn't answer.” 

“She probably wanted to talk to Carnelian.”

“Don't know, still don't care,” Skinny shot back.

“So, why'd you even bring it up?” 

“I dunno. Whatever.” Skinny returned her focus to the television and sighed. “Do you ever wish she'd call for us?” Jasper sat next to her sister, loosely wrapping her arm around her. 

“We’ve always done fine without her. We've got each other. Carn needs mom. At least for a little bit longer.” Skinny rested her head against her sister's shoulder and nodded. 

“Yeah. So, let's talk about something more fun.” Skinny glanced at her sister, nudging her gently. “You ready for tonight?” Jasper just rolled her eyes. “So, no? Come on Jasper! You said you'd try this time.”

“I know, I know. I'm going to, okay?” Jasper shifted to the other side of the couch. 

“You're nervous.”

“I'm not nervous. I just haven't gotten ready yet.”

“So, you're NOT nervous?” Skinny raised her eyebrow. “I mean, you haven't been on a date in a while.”

“Shut up.”

“I didn't mean it like that. You are nervous, aren't you?” Jasper pulled her legs up underneath her as she stared at her hands.

“A little. But only because blind dates suck. I dunno what to expect. I dunno how to prepare. And what if she expects this to just be a hookup? That would be awkward.”

“I'm sure that's not how it will work out,” Skinny said with a smile. “It will be a nice night out. I know it will.”

“Alright.” Jasper knew better than to try to argue with her sister. “I'm gonna go clean the kitchen then we should make lunch. What did Carnelian say she wanted?”

“Dunno. She mentioned something about mac and cheese, but I don't think we have the cheese.”

“I'll figure something out,” Jasper said as she headed to the kitchen. She turned on the light and evaluated the mess they had left last night. Not quite as bad as she remembered, but still required some cleaning. The baking sheets were stacked on top of the stove in need of scrubbing and bowls were piled in sink. “Time to clean this place.”

Jasper and her twin sister Brookite (Skinny) had been given legal guardianship over their younger sister Carnelian. They lived together ever since their mother abandoned Carnelian a few years ago. It didn’t bother Jasper much when her mom left. She had been in and out of Jasper and Skinny’s lives for years, but they knew it wasn’t good for Carnelian. The twins worked hard to make sure Carnelian understood and had as good of a relationship with their mom as she could. And they tried to keep their disappointment to themselves when things didn’t work out. 

“Carn!” Jasper yelled up the stairs. “Lunch time.” 

“Skinny told me I didn’t have to!” Jasper sighed as she moved to the bottom of the stairs.

“She told you nothing of the sort. Get down here and eat your lunch. Skinny! You too, come eat.” Jasper returned to the kitchen to set the table, Skinny following behind her. 

“What’d you make?” Skinny asked as she cleared the mail off the small table. 

“Broccoli, egg, and cheese pasta, Carni usually eats it. Is that okay for you?” Skinny nodded and pulled some bowls from the cabinet. 

When they finished setting the table, Skinny glanced at the door. “I’ll go get her,” she said after exchanging a look with Jasper. 

“Carni-clown!” Skinny called as she knocked on Carnelian’s door. 

“Don’t call me that!” Skinny pushed the door open and leaned against the doorway. 

“Jasper made lunch. Come eat.” Carnelian pouted, refusing to make eye contact with Skinny. “Is this about mom?”

“No,” the moody preteen mumbled. 

“Then come eat.” When Carnelian refused to move, Skinny sat on the floor against the bed. “She called for you today.” 

“I know. I heard you and Jasper talking.” 

“Is that why you’re upset? Carn, you know she can’t take care of you. That’s why Jasper and I are your guardians.” 

“But I don’t want you as my guardians!” Carnelian whispered. “I want you as my sisters. We don’t do fun stuff together anymore. All you do is tell me what to do and how to do it.” 

“Is that what’s got you upset? Carni, we just want to make sure you’re well taken care of. You’ve gotta eat and do your homework and go to school. If you’re not doing all that stuff, the court …” Skinny trailed off, focusing on the frayed carpet. 

“We don’t want to give the judge any reason to send you somewhere else Carn, that’s all.” Jasper stood in the doorway holding three bowls of pasta. “But, we’ll always be your sisters.” She placed the bowls on the floor and sat down next to Skinny. “What do ya say?” 

“You said no eating in my room,” Carnelian replied with a grin. 

“Oh, because you listen to that rule?” Skinny asked with a laugh. 

Once they had finished eating, Skinny climbed onto Carnelian’s bed and whispered to her. The two giggled while Jasper eyed them suspiciously. “No way!” Carnelian shouted, staring at Jasper. 

“Ask her,” Skinny said with a smirk. 

“Ask me what?” Skinny and Carnelian continued to giggle. “Ask me what?” 

“You have a date tonight?!” Carnelian shrieked excitedly. “Oh, please let me help you get ready! Please oh, please!” Jasper stared at Skinny long enough to force her to look away sheepishly. 

“What do you want to help me with?” Jasper replied with a sigh. She loved her sisters, honestly, she did. But they were both far more excited about the idea of Jasper dating than she was. Skinny was already in a relationship, leaving Jasper as the focus for both her sisters’ matchmaking endeavors.

“Well,” Carnelian said thoughtfully, “what are you going to wear?” Honestly, Jasper hadn’t thought about her wardrobe choice for this evening in the slightest. “Can I help you pick something?” 

“I mean, I guess …” 

“Oh good! Let’s go!” 

“Not until we bring the dishes downstairs and wash them.” Jasper rolled her eyes as Carnelian pouted. “Hey! You weren’t the one who had to clean the kitchen from last night. I’m not doing that again.” 

“Come on Carni, I’ll help you. We’ll meet you in your room in 15 minutes.” Skinny gave her twin sister a wink before picking up two bowls and heading out of the room.


	5. Jasper: 2

Jasper fell face first onto her bed. Skinny had been right, she was nervous about her upcoming blind date. The idea of making small talk with someone she didn’t know while they judged her every move made her anxiety increase. “What am I going to do?” Jasper asked herself. She knew dating was the best way to find a relationship, but with the amount of stress it caused, maybe she didn’t want a relationship. It was then that Carnelian bounced into the room followed by Skinny. 

“Uh, Carn, why don’t you go look through Jasper’s closet and pick some things you think would be good choices. When you’re done we can go through them.” Skinny shewed her little sister away and curled up beside her twin. She knew Jasper was panicking. “Come on JJ, it won’t be as bad as you think,” she whispered to her sister. “You’re a great person to hang out with and I’m sure this woman will think so too. It’s just a date, no expectations. And no matter, you will come home to me and Carn. It’s gonna be fine.” 

Jasper took a deep breath and nodded. She knew her sister was right, and luckily Skinny was always there to calm her down. “Thanks B,” she mumbled.

“Come on. Carn is super excited to pick out clothes for you. It’s gonna be awesome.” 

“Jasper?” Carnelian asked quietly. “This isn’t fun for you, is it?” Jasper inhaled slowly as she sat up. Carnelian had always been perceptive, even though she didn’t always talk about it. Jasper appreciated that. Regardless of Carnelian’s overly energetic and intense personality, she had an incredibly kind heart. 

“I’m okay. Just a little nervous about going on this date. But, picking out clothes with you two will be fun.” Jasper stood and ruffled Carnelian’s hair. “What’d you find?” Carnelian proudly held up a long-sleeved shirt, a button down, and a short-sleeved sweater. 

“What do you think?” She asked Skinny as she tossed the items on the bed. 

“Oh,” Skinny hummed as she glanced at Carnelian’s choices. “I like these. Jasper, model them for us!” Skinny pushed her sister towards the edge of the bed to expedite the process. 

“Fine, fine,” Jasper mumbled. She jumped off the bed and pulled her shirt up over her head. 

“And you’ve gotta change your bra,” Skinny said with a matter of fact attitude. 

“What, why? I like this one.” 

“Well,” Carnelian started. “I mean, there’s nothing _wrong _ with it. It’s just …” she trailed off, glancing at Skinny. 

“It’s a sports bra JJ.” Skinny put her hand up before Jasper could protest. “And, while that isn’t inherently the problem, it makes the dress shirt sit weird.”

“Then I’ll wear another shirt.” She glared at her twin for a moment. “I’m not changing my bra.” 

“Alright, it’s not that big of a deal. If Jasper’s more comfortable in that bra, let her wear it. I mean, I don’t even get why any of us bother to wear them in the first place,” Carnelian mused. 

“I _don’t_,” Skinny replied bluntly. 

“Are you really suggesting I not wear a bra? Because that’s not happening either. Don’t be jealous that you didn’t get any.” 

“Shut up!” Carnelian shouted, throwing a pillow at each of her sisters. “You two fight over the dumbest things.” 

“Are you even our sister?” Jasper laughed.

“Yeah,” Skinny chuckled. “How else would I show her my love if we didn’t fight?” 

“Whatever, just try the shirt on!” Jasper rolled her eyes before picking up one of the shirts from the bed. 

After trying on what seemed like half the shirts she owned, Jasper was sitting topless on her bed while Carnelian and Skinny were arguing about which shirt she should wear. Jasper grew increasingly tired of listening to her sisters argue over two shirts she ultimately hated. She decided on a better plan. While her sisters bickered, Jasper got up and started to fish things out of her closet. When she had found what she was looking for, she stripped down and began assembling her outfit. When she was done, she stood in front of her distracted sisters. 

“Hey! Guys! What about this one?” Skinny and Carnelian stopped fighting long enough to stare at Jasper with dropped jaws. 

“Holy shit, J!” 

“Fuck,” Carnelian mumbled. 

“Language!” Both her sisters shouted back at her. 

“Alright, sorry. But like, LOOK at her!” Skinny turned to look back at Jasper. She had to admit, her sister looked better than she had in anything Carnelian had suggested she try on. She wore a red button-down dress shirt with a black vest along with dark jeans and her usual black boots. 

“Jasper, when’d you get this outfit?” Skinny asked, her look of confusion mirroring her younger sister’s. 

“Uh,” Jasper blushed as she spoke. “I, uh, bought it a couple weeks ago. Went out shopping with Garnet. She made me try a bunch of stuff on for fun and, well, this one wasn’t so bad.” Jasper turned from her sisters, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

“Alright,” Carnelian finally said. “Guess you’ve found an outfit.”


	6. Chapter 6

When Jasper got out of the shower, she was greeted by Skinny lounging on her bed. “Where’s Carni?” Jasper asked as she rummaged through her dresser. 

“In her room playing video games.” Jasper moved into her closet and started assembling her outfit.

“And why are you in my room?” She called to Skinny. 

“Because your bed is nice, I’ve fucked too much in mine,” Skinny replied.

“Get out,” Jasper called, fully expecting to be ignored. She finished dressing and reentered the main room. 

“You look good,” Skinny said with a smile. 

“I’m gonna throw-up.” Jasper sat on the bed and covered her face with her hands.

“What? No!” she sat up and looked at Jasper. “What’s wrong?” 

“I’m just worried that this date is going to go badly. My record for second dates is pretty wretched.” 

“Who cares?! Look, you can’t go into this thinking ‘How am I gonna get a second date?’. You go, eat food you wouldn’t otherwise eat, meet a new person, that’s it. You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself. Just have a good time.” 

“Yeah, but what’s the point of going on a date if you aren’t trying for a second date?” 

Skinny hit Jasper with a pillow. “The point is to go out and enjoy yourself, to have fun JJ. You’ve done that before haven’t you?” Skinny shushed Jasper before she could offer a snarky comment. “So, what’s this woman like anyway?” 

“Not sure. It’s a blind date. You answer questions and the site pairs you with someone. We exchanged phone numbers, but not much else. I just know her name is Peri and she’s going to be wearing a yellow dress.”

“Oh, mysterious!” Skinny said with a slight eyeroll and giggle. “It’s gonna be fine. Come on, think fun, happy thoughts and get your shit together.” 

As Jasper headed out of the house, Skinny insisted on walking her to the car. Carnelian shouted her goodbyes from her room as the two stood on the porch. “You’re awesome, she’s going to love hanging out with you. And I’m sure she’s just as nervous as you are, so just relax and have fun.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Jasper gave her sister a hug and left. 

The restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded, and the host happily sat Jasper at a small booth next to a window. They assured Jasper that Peridot would be brought to the booth, but Jasper nervously considered sending her a text. _I don’t want her to think she’s late, _ Jasper thought before putting her phone away. She considered ordering drinks or appetizers, but she had no idea what Peridot even liked. Instead, she waited. 

Ten minutes later, the waitstaff stopped by the table. He smiled kindly before taking Jasper’s drink order. Jasper tried focusing on her drink to quiet the voice in her head, but it didn’t work. _What if she showed up, saw me and left? Am I at the wrong place? No, I checked. _ She pulled out her phone to check her text again. 

“Jasper? Sorry I was late. I got caught up with some video editing and then my hair was uncooperative. I’m glad to see you waited for me though.” Jasper looked up from her phone to see a small woman with blond hair pinned back with bobby pins. She wore a yellow dress with green flowers and brown sandals. 

Jasper soon realized she was staring. “Ahh, hi, umm, Peridot. Please, sit down.” Jasper watched as Peridot sat but didn’t smile. “It’s … nice to meet you.” With that, the waitstaff arrived and took Peridot’s drink order. 

“Well, this is awkward,” Peridot said as she looked towards Jasper. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you want to talk about something? Or we could decide what to eat? I’m not very good at these kinds of things.” Jasper said the last part softly. 

“I’m sure none of this is your fault,” Peridot shrugged casually. “Blind dates are only 15% successful.” Jasper just blinked back at her. “Have you eaten here before?” 

“Oh, yea, I mean, not often. I’ve come here for my sister’s birthday.” 

“Oh,” Peridot seemed intrigued. “You have a sister?” 

“Well, I have two. My twin sister and I have custody of our little sister.” Peridot nodded while she continued to look at the menu. “How about you?” 

“No, I’ve never eaten here before,” Peridot replied. “But the food seemed acceptable.” Jasper was confused but decided to pick out her food instead of questioning. Once they had ordered, Peridot folded her hands in front of her. “So, we should get to know each other. What do you do for work?” 

Jasper buried her head into her sister’s pillow. “I’m pretty sure I made a total fool of myself B.” Skinny was sitting on the bed rubbing Jasper’s back. 

“Oh, come on, it couldn’t have been that bad. She stayed for dinner, didn’t she?” Jasper just groaned. “Tell me what happened.” 

“I told her about the gym. That I’m the nutritionist and a personal trainer then mentioned how the hours work well with taking care of Carni and whatever. She talked about her job for a while. She does freelance computer engineering, B, it’s so over my head.” 

Skinny just rolled her eyes. “It’s not, but whatever, tell me what else happened.”

“Well, I guess she runs a sex blog too?” 

“What? No way! Which one?”

“Uhmm, I don’t know. The title was something about not knowing what you’re doing?” Skinny nearly pushed Jasper off the bed. 

“She runs ‘You Clods Don’t Know What You’re Doing’? Jasper, that’s the blog that promotes Jay and Ell’s store!”

“Oh no,” Jasper mumbled into the pillow. Great, she had gone on a blind date with a friend of her twin sister’s long-term partner. Skinny pulled out her phone and nudged Jasper to pull her face out of the pillow. 

“Is this her?” Skinny played a video that seemed to be explaining the ins and outs of a particular harness. Jasper glanced at the phone and groaned again, returning her head to the pillow. “She’s really cute, Jasper. And I don’t get it, you haven’t told me what was so bad about the date.” She turned off the video and glanced back at Jasper. 

“Nothing! She just seemed disinterested. I don’t know.” Jasper rolled over and sighed. Just then her phone buzzed. 

_It was nice meeting you. I enjoyed our date and hope we can have another one. – Peridot_

Skinny grabbed the phone from Jasper and grinned. “See! It was fine! Do you want to go on another date with her? You never mentioned if you actually enjoyed her company.” 

Jasper didn’t know what to say. Peridot seemed interesting enough. Jasper recalled Peridot’s description of her latest computer engineering project. It had turned into an engaging conversation about freelancing, Jasper having some experience being self-employed as a trainer. Reviewing the date with slightly less anxiety, Jasper acknowledged that it hadn’t been that bad. She shrugged at her sister and picked up her cellphone. 

_Nice to meet you too. Maybe we can meet to grab coffee or something over the weekend. -Jasper_


End file.
